Penang DAP said the money for from the building fund for its headquarters in Jalan Rangoon, Penang, did not go into its leaders' private bank accounts.

 

State DAP Socialist Youth chief Ng Wei Aik said that all monies collected from its various fundraising activities were deposited into the party's bank account.

 

"We are now questioning why RM2.6 billion went into Prime Minister Najib Razak's private bank accounts.

 

"Penang Umno Youth's challenge to DAP to reveal details of its building fund is totally irrelevant," Ng ( photo ) told Malaysiakini when contacted.

 

The Tanjong MP said the burning issue is not about political funding but why billions were deposited into Najib's private accounts.

 

He said the money was considered "a bribe" even though the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission has revealed that the money was a donation from an anonymous donor.

 

He reminded that such donations are also considered a form of corruption under the MACC Act.

 

"We never allow this to happen in DAP. When we held fundraising dinners to build Wisma DAP, the money collected from sales of tickets was surrendered to the party and not to personal accounts," Ng explained.

 

"Furthermore, elected representatives (MPs and assemblymen) had to donate one month's salary towards the fund, so how could we benefit personally?" asked the former political secretary to Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng.

 

Constructed in two years

He was commenting on state Umno Youth chief Rafizal Abdul Rahim who had asked DAP to disclose the source of the funding for its headquarters which was constructed just two years after Lim became chief minister in 2008.

 

Rafizal had pointed out Gerakan, which governed Penang prior to March 2008, took 12 years to build its headquarters.

 

Rafizal made the call as DAP had been harping on Najib to reveal the source of the RM2.6 billion donation.

 

He also chided DAP for not having the courage to reform laws related to political funding as previously proposed by Najib.

 

This however was earlier refuted by Lim ( photo ), who is also DAP secretary-general, who said that DAP was never approached on any proposal to regulate political funding, dismissing claims that his party had opposed it.

 

Ng said the party was open about its building fund.

 

He added that the names of the party's main donors or sponsors were listed on plaques within the building.

 

He invited Rafizal and his members to see for themselves.

 

"Penang Umno Youth tried to help Najib but they are doing him a disservice.

 

"If he has nothing to hide, why need to play up the issue of Wisma DAP building fund?" Ng asked.

 

"Just come clean and explain where Najib got the money from. Now, people have become more  suspicious about the fund said to have come from an unknown source, and suspect that Najib has got something to hide," Ng said.

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